Furniture



June 20, 1 939. A; SCHMIDT FURNITURE Filed April 26, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1m 20, 1939. A. SCHMIDT 2,152,975

FURNITURE Filed April 26, 1938 2 Sheets-sheaf: 2

v. Fl 2 flaw 522121156 A-Zforne,

v Piafenteddune 20, 19 39 I NHTEJRE Arno chmidt, Dresden, Germany Application April as, 1938, Serial No. 204,428 In Germany May 31, 1937 13 Claims.

This invention relates to that kind of cabinet furniture having a sliding leaf or tableor tray (hereinafter generically referred to as a leaf) so combined with a hinged or' foldable flap, for

5 closing a frontal opening in the cabinet, that the opening and closing of the flap positively slides the leaf outwardly and inwardly respectively. The combination may be employed for example in cabinets for radio gramophones, card indexes,

typewriters and so on.

The invention provides improved and simplified means operatively coupling the flap and leaf, which means is free from the possibility of jamming even if the material of the cabinet should 1 warp. 1

The stated means constitutes a novel and advantageous fitting distinguished by the features that it is not subject to excessive wear and operates without noticeable noise. It also provides a perfect guide, so that canting or uneven movement is impossible even if the flap or the leaf warps. But the advantages are not exhausted thereby. The new fitting, which is disposed at the front between the flap and the leaf, makes it possible to obtain a longer leaf movement for the same flap radius or spacing of the leaf from the top of the cabinet. Accordingly, the fiap may be made shallower if desired. Further, the new fitting enables the flap and therewith the whole cabinet to be given a different shape, inasmuch as the fiap terminates below the top surface of the cabinetand need not be divided as hitherto, so that the space between the cabinet sides may be fully utilized. In this manner not only space, but also labour is saved. It must also be mentioned that the time required for applying the fitting amounts to only a small fraction of the time which had to be spent hitherto, whereby the field of application may be widened.

Since, owing to the possiblecentral disposition of the fitting, recesses or holes laterally of the leaf are eliminated, the leaf may extend up to the lateral walls of the cabinet and may be guided by ledges thereon.

Another feature of the invention consists. in

preventing the leaf guides disposed at the cabinet sides from being overloaded and the inward and outward movements of the leaf. from being thereby rendered difficult. To this end one or more roll-down elements are provided on the flap so as to support the leaf during the whole of its inward or outward movement and also in its positions of rest.. This featurecontributes to rendering jamming impossible even in massed,

5 produced cabinets.

'on the flap I this distance is sufficient, the length of'the cir-. 5

cular arc' portion of the support may approximate the stroke of the leaf. If the'distance is smaller then the arc is smaller than the'stroke of the leaf, and some rubbing movement occurs; but this can be negatived by arranging the'roll-down l0 path as the enveloping curve of individual rollers which together form the supporting element.

The leaf rolls on the described support and the total load no longer rests on the cabinet guides alone, with the resultthat even if thereis a 15 great load on the leaf thefiap can always be easily operated.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawings. 20

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of one embodiment as applied to say a record player.

Fig. 2 is a plan =view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates .in sectional side elevation an embodiment which is conveniently employed if a the distance of the leaf from the axis of the flap is small.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the supporting element shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of still an- 30 other embodiment.

Fig. 6 is an inside view corresponding to Fig.5. 7

Fig. 7 represents a detail of the arrangement shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Throughout the several views thesame refer- 35 ences denote the-same or similar parts.

The drop flap is indicated at I and is pivoted to the caslng or cabinet 3 by means of a hinge 2; it is inwardly hollowed as shown. The top of the casing is indicated at 4. The sliding leaf is 40 indicated at 5'.

In the embodiment illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2, the leaf 5 is'connected by means of an eye member 6, screwed into its front edge 5a, to the flap I with the aid of a curved glide rail I mounted 45 in the inwardly hollowed portion of the latter. The rail 1, is mounted at one endin a block 8 and at the other end in a hole 9 in the front ledge Ia of the flap. Further the leaf 5 is supported in guides III on the casing 50 sides 3.

Owing to the fact that the coupling between the leaf and flap consists of only two interconnected parts, namely the eye 6 (which terminates. in a threaded stem screwed into the front of the u leaf) and the rail 7, the fltting is the simplest conceivable. It is only necessary to screw the eye 6 into the leaf, directed slightly. downwards, which can be done in a moment, and to introduce the rail 1 into the corresponding guide holes 6, 9, which is also possible without any noticeable loss of time. The rail I itself may be of round or angular section and'it is curved in accordance with the path of movement of the flap in conjunction with that of the leaf.

The fitting may be produced for any size of flap and leaf as required without special tools or machinery. Any artisan can cut off the rods or rails and bend them to form in a very short time and at trifling cost. The fitting works satisfactorily, even if the leaf or the flap is warped,

because the leaf is suspended at three points only. Dismantling is also particularly simple. A movement of the hand behind the half open flap is suflicient for pushing out the rod through the hole 9 in the flap, whereupon the flap or the leaf can be removed. Further, the fitting does not require any extraneous screws and lends itself to massproduction under great saving of material.

. As already stated, any desired extent of sliding movement may be obtained. Further, the useful space need not be restricted to half of the heightof the flap, as in the case of known fittings, but may be up to about three quarters of the height of the flap. If the leaf is mounted lower than the middle of the clear height from the flap hinge to the casing top, about half of the rail 1 must be straight (Fig. 3) Greater extension ofthe leaf results from mounting it deeperand this is only possible by suitably shaping the rail 1 in accordance with the paths of movement of the flap and the leaf. The rail is parabolical, the vertex being seated on the ledge or bead la of the flap.

In Fig. 1, the closed position of the flap I, in which the leaf 5 is pushed in, is indicated by 'dotted lines.

A supporting element for the leaf 5 is indicated .at H. Its rolling surface is indicated at l2.

The radius of curvature r is equal to the smallest distance apart of the flap axis 2 from the underside of the sliding leaf 5. From Fig. 2 it will be seen that a supporting element H is provided on each side wall lb of the flap I.

In Figs. 3 and 4 one supporting element is disposed in the middle of the flap I, the same comprising a carrier IS on which rollers M are disposed at each side in staggered relation; but they need not be staggered as shown.

In the embodiment according to 'Figs. 5 to 7 the coupling between the flap I and the leaf 5 comprises a curved sheet metal plate I! which has its ends secured to the flap as by means of screws and has a slot l6 through which projects the shank I'Ia of a -T-headed member H, which is provided with fixing ledges i8 and I9, whereby it may be detachably secured over the front edge of theleaf 5 by means of screws or the like. The assembly of these coupling elements is effected by first connecting the ledges I8 and IQ of the member l! to the leaf 5, whereupon the plate 15 is threaded on the member I! and is then secured to the flap, or the reverse procedure is adopted.

I claim:

1. In a cabinet having a frontal opening, the

combination of an inwardly hollowed drop flap hinged to the front of the cabinet for closing said opening, a slidable leaf in the cabinet movable outwardly through said opening in a plane above the hinge axis of the flap, said leaf presenting an eyelet at its front edge, and means operatively coupling the flap and the leaf for moving the leaf outwardly and inwardly upon movements'of the flap to open and closed positions respectively, said means comprising a curved rail extending within the hollow of the flap through the eyelet of the leaf, and bearings on the flap supporting the ends of the rail.

'2. In a cabinet having a frontal opening, the combination of an inwardly hollowed drop flap hinged to the front of the cabinet for closing said opening, a slidable leaf in the cabinet movable outwardly through said opening in a plane above the hinge axis of the flap, and means operatively coupling the flap and the leaf 'for moving the leaf outwardly and inwardly upon movements of the flap to open and closed positions respectively, said means comprising a headed stud at the front of the leaf and a curved slotted plate extending within the hollow of the flap and mounted therein with the shank of the stud projecting through the slot.

3. A cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means are disposed centrally between the two sides of the flap and leaf.

4. A cabinet according to claim 2, wherein the coupling means are disposed centrally between the two sides of the flap and leaf.

5. In a cabinet having a front opening, the combination of an inwardly hollowed drop flap hinged to the front of the cabinet for closing said opening, a slidable leaf in the cabinet movable outwardly through said opening in a plane above the hinge axis of the flap, means operatively coupling the flap and the leaf for moving the leaf outwardly and inwardly upon movements of the flap to open and closed positions respectively, and at least one supporting element for the leaf provided on the flap, said element affording anarcua'te supporting surface making rolling contact with the leaf.

6. In a cabinet having a frontal opening, the combination of an inwardly hollowed drop flap hinged to the front of the cabinet for closing said opening, a slidable leaf in the cabinet movable outwardly through said opening in a plane above the hinge axis of the flap, means opera-' tively coupling the flap and the leaf for moving the leaf outwardly and 'inwardly upon movements of the flap to open and closed positions respectively, at least one arcuate supporting element for the leaf provided on the flap, and rollers on the element disposed tojmake contact with the leaf.

' 7. A cabinet according to claim 5, wherein the supporting element is positioned centrally between the two sides of the flap.

8. A cabinet according to claim 6, wherein the supporting element is positioned centrally between the two sides of the flap.

9. A cabinet according'to claim 5, in which the leaf is disposed to slide in a plane below the centre of the vertical distance apart of the hinge axis of the flap and the top of the frontal opening in the cabinet 10. A cabinet according to claim 6, in which the leaf is disposed to slide in a plane below the centre of the vertical distance apart of the hinge axis of the flap and the top of the frontal opening in the cabinet.

11. In a cabinet having a frontal opening, the cambination of an inwardly hollowed drop flap hinged to the front of the cabinet for closing said opening, a slidable leaf in the cabinet movable outwardly through said opening in a plane above the hinge axis of the flap, at least one supporting element for the leaf providedon the flap, said element affording an arcuate surface making rolling contact with the leaf, and means operatively couplingthe flap and the leaf for moving the leaf outwardly and inwardly upon movements of the flap to open and closed positions respectively, said means comprising an anchoring member at the front of the leaf and a curved member in gliding engagement with the anchoring member fixed to the inside of the inwardly hollowed flap.

12. In a cabinet having a frontal opening,the

combination of an inwardly hollowed drop flap hinged to the front of the cabinet for closing said opening,'a slidable leaf in the cabinet movable outwardly through said opening in a plane above the hinge axis of the flap, said leaf presenting an eyelet at its front edge, at least one supporting element for the leaf providedon the flap, said element ai'l'ordingan arcuate surface making rolling contact with the leaf, and means operatively coupling the flap and the leaf for moving the leaf outwardly and inwardly on flap through the eyelet of the leaf, and bearings on the flap supporting the ends of the rail.

13. In a cabinet having a frontal opening, the combination of an inwardly hollowed drop'flap hinged to the front of the cabinetforclosing said opening, a slidable leaf in the cabinet movable outwardly through said opening in a plane above the hinge axis of the flap, at least one supporting element for the leaf provided on the flap, said element ,afiordlng an arcuate surface making rolling contact with the leaf, and means operatively coupling the flap andthe leaf for moving the leaf outwardly and inwardly upon movements of the flap to open and closed positions respectively, said means comprising a headed stud at the front of the leaf, a curved slotted plate mounted inside the inwardly hollowed flap with the shank of the stud' projecting through the slot. v

ARNOSCHMIDT.

movements of the flap to open and closed posi- V tions :respectively, said 'means comprising a] .curved rail extending within the hollow of the" 

